This banana bread gets an upgrade with a chocolate butter cream frosting. And it’s a delicious addition!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosted Banana Bread

I have made a ton of banana bread over the years and never had it occurred to me to frost it with chocolate buttercream until I spotted such a thing at a coffee shop a while back. Intrigued, I bought a slice and after the first bite, I had one of those “where have you been all my life!” moments. Yes, chocolate buttercream and banana bread is indeed a winning combination :)

Now obviously, there will still be room for plain banana bread in my life. There’s a special pleasure in a buttered piece of banana bread with an afternoon coffee. But when it comes time to really indulge, or win friends and influence people, I’ll be whipping this one out!

Cook’s Notes

I like to use 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar in this banana bread. You could use 1 cup white sugar instead, if you prefer. If you find this level of sugar too sweet, try 3/4 cup white or brown sugar.

Yes, I was a little heavy handed with the chocolate buttercream. I made a bit too much and I hate to waste :) Let me just say though, it definitely wasn’t a bad thing. A generous layer of buttercream is a beautiful thing and a more-than-worthy indulgence, I think :) That said, if you have extra, buttercream icing freezes beautifully, so you can always go that route.

A good stiff (but still creamy) buttercream is best here. Spoon it on, then use the end of an offset spatula to run some lines down the top from one end to the other to make the ridges.

Tip! Here’s how to get nice clean edges on your frosting. Once your loaf is cooled, line your loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper that covers the bottom and two long sides, extending up the sides a couple of inches about the pan. Pop your cooled banana bread in to the pan and frost, using the parchment sides to make a flat edge on the sides. Keep in the pan/parchment. Pop in to the fridge to let the frosting stiffen up, then to enjoy, simply pull out of the loaf pan using the parchment sides as handles, fold back the parchment sides and slice.

I keep this one in the fridge. It keeps the icing tidy and slices neatly and easily when cold. If you prefer to eat it at room temperature, simply leave your slice on the counter for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

banana bread with chocolate buttercream frosting sliced

Get the Recipe: Banana Bread with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Elevate your banana bread with a generous topping of chocolate buttercream! I like to keep this loaf in the fridge, as it keeps the icing neat and it slices neatly. 
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Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

Banana Bread:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 bananas, very ripe, peeled and mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar
  • 3 Tbsp milk
  • Pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. and grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan. Set aside. Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly while you proceed with the recipe.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt well, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar. In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla and slightly cooled melted butter and stir just until well combined.  Add the banana mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir with a spoon just until combined. Spoon in to prepared pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then run a knife around the outside and remove loaf to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
  • Prepare the chocolate buttercream: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter well. Turn the mixer off. Add the milk, cocoa, icing sugar and a pinch of salt. Turn the mixer on low until the mixture is moistened, then increase speed to medium and mix until creamy, adding more icing sugar if needed to make a stiff, but still creamy frosting. Spoon on to completely cooled banana bread and use the end of an offset spatula to make ridges by running lines down the top from one end to the other.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Snack
Author: Jennifer
Calories: 392kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 380mg, Potassium: 208mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 505IU, Vitamin C: 3.1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1.5mg
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